And we return to the incombustible Japanese 70's, this time exploring Yōsui Inoue [井上 陽水]. Born as Akimi Inoue [井上 陽水], he is undeniably part of a cohort of talents such as Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi [長渕剛] Hako Yamasaki [山崎ハコ] or Dōji Morita [森田童子] (whom he kinda resembles, don't lie yourself about it), and just as them, he funged as a folk-rocker of sorts with a deeply personal style. Famous for his unconventional lyrics and always wearing sunglasses, Inoue is now 71 and still a musician at all effects; this album was his third and belongs to his era with Polydor, right before he reached a long standing fame and recognizement.
Yōsui was born in 1948, to a couple of torikaesha [引き揚げ者] or ''returning person'', a category of people forced to return to Japan after its defeat in WWII and the abandonment of its colonies. This was an extremely complex process, as millions of people were born abroad to Japanese parents (and Japanese soil, at the time), and many others had been trafficked out of the islands as prisoner workforce or brothel servants (many comfort women were actually impoverished and sometimes lied-to Japanese girls of humble social extraction, sent to various countries of the Pacific against their will). In Yōsui's case his father used to be a military doctor, and became a humble coal worker for a time in Fukuoka to survive this difficult readjustment period. After Yōsui was born, he established a dental clinic and became prosperous again, wishing his son would eventually take on the family business. As customary among musicians, he didn't.
First fascinated with Elvis Presley and early rock and roll bands such as The Platters or The Ventures due to his older sister (who later on also became a musician, pseudonym Ifu Sarasa [依布サラサ]), Yōsui would find his inspiration via these American mass icons, highly innovative not only to the Japanese audience but, at that particular era, for Americans as well. This would only exacerbate with the Japanese Beatlemania, perhaps among the hardest-hitting among many many countries. A radio program broadcasted ''Please Please Me' in 1963; this transfigured 15 year old Yōsui, shocked by the raw energy of the piece, at the time pretty revulotionary. Yet, his father still guided his steps, and therefore Yōsui attempted to access Dental College in Kyūshū. As he worked on the entrance exam, he also learned how to play the guitar; as he became naturally proficient in this area, the burden of mathematical problems and morning-to-night study schedules grew immense. He failed the exam in 1967, 1968 and 1969. He then manifested his desire to travel to Tokyo and take the exam there; but once in the city, he did not even take the exam: he dropped out and tried to become a musician.
Afer some small projects which turned out wrong, like his brief one-year career as ''Andre Candre'', which made him take distance from his first record label, Yōsui still found himself in need of an initial musical hit. Yet, he gained something from these experiences: personal independence from the industry's demands.
Due to his passion for bands such as The Beatles, he did not consider himself as a folk singer; but as he was a single man singing and playing a guitar, everybody recognised him as such. Thus many misunderstandings took place, and the company executives asked him constantly about why he did not stick to the folk guidelines. This made him yearn for artistic independence.
Within the record industry, he met with many other talents which at the time were establishing the foundations of what was to become the History of rock and roll in Japan, such as The Mopps [ザ・モップス] and their fantastic, frenetic and highly distorted rework on The Beatles and many others. These contacts with rock' n' rollers and early psychedelic bands would prove to be fruitful, and he discovered a great deal of musical genres. Among these new found inspirations, the one who became his guide and mentor was none other than Bob Dylan. Dylan and Cohen's influence on his style is undeniable, and he could be considered their Japanese counterpart up to this day; combining thoughtful lyrics with an acoustic guitar plus vocals setting, mixing rock sentimentality and virtuosism with them, as well as folkish nostalgia, Yōsui became a professional and was hired by the
Polydor record label to perform and release an album. He also was in luck: not only his discovery of American music was in line with the times and was popular within Japan, but he also was betting his folk-rock steak at a fantastic time to do so: the seventies were already here. His first hit arrived in 1973, Yume No Naka He [夢の中へ], a really fun theme filled with Beatle-Vultures influences. That same year he relased his first live album, the one we are going to dive into: Yōsui Live Return [陽水ライヴ もどり道], a much somber and meditative take on his musical repertoire.
The album starts with 夏まつり [Summer Festival]; a really impressive theme and in fact the best among them all to my taste. A simple track solely relying in voice and acoustic guitar, Yōsui's voice uses its full vocal range, from low pitched whispers to a surprisingly high recurring chorus. It fully resembles Hako Yamasaki's songs, and it also denotes somber, melancholic themes and melody. I think it also constitites the best introduction to Yōsui's dark angles as poet and musician, otherwise hidden due to his most popular, Beatle-like themes. The next one is いつのまにか少女は [A girl yet to be known], which introduces harmonica to Yōsui's live ensemble. Relaxed and dreamy, the song is a laid-back folk track a la Bob Dylan, with plenty references to nature in a very 70's style. A reflection on time
and loss, it is quite beautiful also. 紙飛行機 [Paper plane] introduces a lot of energy after two melancholic tracks; a guitar on the edge of rock n' roll carries out a shouting chorus. It also sounds terribly tragic and elegiac; lyrically it compares life with a short-lasting paper plane, flying with no direction at all. あかずの踏切り [Endless Level Crossing] is a song exactly described by its title: Yōsui describes the many activities in which the passing of a train becomes central to people, also comparing it to time. It is a rythmic, circling theme filled with pathos and simple acoustic work. It is also a delightful track, belonging to the same folk orientation as the previous ones.
The next song is たいくつ [Boring], which adds some complex guitar work along with the voice; it also includes a strong percussion game (claps and wood), marking a quite definite templo. As this is a live record, almost half of the track is actually a spoken dialogue with the audience. 人生が二度あれば [If I had two lifes] resembles 紙飛行機 in that it would obviously be a rock track if played on electric guitar, and has both energy and a tragicness to it. The song is also a theme quite out of its own era, reflecting on how much of life is wasted by planning and staying in line, instead of enjoying loved ones and pursuing one's conviction; it is also a song of praise to fathers and mothers who spent their whole life
building up a family and did not actually lived for themselves. 帰郷（危篤電報を受け取って） [Back In The Countryside (After a Critic Telegram)] is a slow, meditative theme. The return to one's original home from the big city is a commonplace in modern Japanese literature and music, as much of their population are one-generation settlers from rural families. As the young protagonist in Natsume Soseki's Kokoro, this was often preceded by bad news, from the death of a relative to inheritance issues, to familiar businesses. While the lyrics reflect these critical events, they also portray the beauty of the countryside; from cows to stars and the green fields, all of them inaccessible to people in the city.
The album starts with 夏まつり [Summer Festival]; a really impressive theme and in fact the best among them all to my taste. A simple track solely relying in voice and acoustic guitar, Yōsui's voice uses its full vocal range, from low pitched whispers to a surprisingly high recurring chorus. It fully resembles Hako Yamasaki's songs, and it also denotes somber, melancholic themes and melody. I think it also constitites the best introduction to Yōsui's dark angles as poet and musician, otherwise hidden due to his most popular, Beatle-like themes. The next one is いつのまにか少女は [A girl yet to be known], which introduces harmonica to Yōsui's live ensemble. Relaxed and dreamy, the song is a laid-back folk track a la Bob Dylan, with plenty references to nature in a very 70's style. A reflection on time
and loss, it is quite beautiful also. 紙飛行機 [Paper plane] introduces a lot of energy after two melancholic tracks; a guitar on the edge of rock n' roll carries out a shouting chorus. It also sounds terribly tragic and elegiac; lyrically it compares life with a short-lasting paper plane, flying with no direction at all. あかずの踏切り [Endless Level Crossing] is a song exactly described by its title: Yōsui describes the many activities in which the passing of a train becomes central to people, also comparing it to time. It is a rythmic, circling theme filled with pathos and simple acoustic work. It is also a delightful track, belonging to the same folk orientation as the previous ones.The next song is たいくつ [Boring], which adds some complex guitar work along with the voice; it also includes a strong percussion game (claps and wood), marking a quite definite templo. As this is a live record, almost half of the track is actually a spoken dialogue with the audience. 人生が二度あれば [If I had two lifes] resembles 紙飛行機 in that it would obviously be a rock track if played on electric guitar, and has both energy and a tragicness to it. The song is also a theme quite out of its own era, reflecting on how much of life is wasted by planning and staying in line, instead of enjoying loved ones and pursuing one's conviction; it is also a song of praise to fathers and mothers who spent their whole life
building up a family and did not actually lived for themselves. 帰郷（危篤電報を受け取って） [Back In The Countryside (After a Critic Telegram)] is a slow, meditative theme. The return to one's original home from the big city is a commonplace in modern Japanese literature and music, as much of their population are one-generation settlers from rural families. As the young protagonist in Natsume Soseki's Kokoro, this was often preceded by bad news, from the death of a relative to inheritance issues, to familiar businesses. While the lyrics reflect these critical events, they also portray the beauty of the countryside; from cows to stars and the green fields, all of them inaccessible to people in the city.
感謝知らずの女 [A woman who knows no gratitude] introduces a fully rock ensemble, from drums to bass and electric guitar. The theme is as transparent as the title itself, and from this point on we enter the ''hard'' half of the live album. Yōsui's voice blends into the genre change perfectly well. The song is fast and easy-going, including the customary solos. 愛は君 [Love is you] begins to take us back to Yōsui's Beatle background, even more so than the first theme. Not only the love theme but also the playful half-cheesy chorus, and the overall pop/rock setting. Yet, the track denotes his psychedelic roots, with a heavier sound than most pop gold-age bands, and a somewhat surprisingly rock solo. 東へ西へ [From East to West] is quite interesting, and a well-built rythmic rock song. If only heavier and faster, it would sound completely punk. I can only define it as eye-of-the-tiger-ish, and in fact sounds awesome.
家へお帰り [Back Home] is again an acoustic theme, a ballad of sorts. Yōsui's voice returns to his folk side, whistling included, and contributes to a song quite beautiful, again reminiscent of Hako's or Morita's songs. It is also very short, lasting for only 2 minutes. 傘がない [I don't have an umbrella] continues the laid-back style, bearing some similarities to the second track, いつのまにか少女は. The lyrics are quite polished, and the voice work commendable. Althought also a love theme, it does not become as cheesy as 愛は君; instead, it focuses on the actual sadness and everyday routine of a heartbroken person who happens to lose his umbrella in the rain. The last half of the song becomes quite intense and is overall a great piece. 星（終りのテーマ） [Star (The last theme)] is the ''official ending'' of the live session, and of course not the last one by popular demand. It is a very very short theme, of only 1 minute of duration. It is a slow, acoustic guitar ballad about a wandering star. After it ends Inoue kind of trolls his audience, saying goodbye after such a short song; of course, everybody is still waiting for the aforementioned track which earned him popularity, 夢の中へ [Inside of dreams]. This acoustic live version of the track is almost as good as the original one, and brings its colorful and energetic style as the audience claps and shouts. Thanks to the rock tracks in the second half of the whole live session, it does not feel out of context, and also rewarded the public. What else can I say, I actually love the track, and the harmonica work is exclusive of this version, substituting the original Ventures-like electric guitar. Catchy.
家へお帰り [Back Home] is again an acoustic theme, a ballad of sorts. Yōsui's voice returns to his folk side, whistling included, and contributes to a song quite beautiful, again reminiscent of Hako's or Morita's songs. It is also very short, lasting for only 2 minutes. 傘がない [I don't have an umbrella] continues the laid-back style, bearing some similarities to the second track, いつのまにか少女は. The lyrics are quite polished, and the voice work commendable. Althought also a love theme, it does not become as cheesy as 愛は君; instead, it focuses on the actual sadness and everyday routine of a heartbroken person who happens to lose his umbrella in the rain. The last half of the song becomes quite intense and is overall a great piece. 星（終りのテーマ） [Star (The last theme)] is the ''official ending'' of the live session, and of course not the last one by popular demand. It is a very very short theme, of only 1 minute of duration. It is a slow, acoustic guitar ballad about a wandering star. After it ends Inoue kind of trolls his audience, saying goodbye after such a short song; of course, everybody is still waiting for the aforementioned track which earned him popularity, 夢の中へ [Inside of dreams]. This acoustic live version of the track is almost as good as the original one, and brings its colorful and energetic style as the audience claps and shouts. Thanks to the rock tracks in the second half of the whole live session, it does not feel out of context, and also rewarded the public. What else can I say, I actually love the track, and the harmonica work is exclusive of this version, substituting the original Ventures-like electric guitar. Catchy.
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